Dating apps for teens? You might be wondering if your eyes deceived you with that headline. Unfortunately, they did not. Modern technology has dramatically changed the way teens date, most notably by shifting a lot of their interactions to digital spaces. This romantic migration online has been followed by a suite of dating apps designed specifically for teens.
Does the idea of your teen looking for love on the internet give you the heebie-jeebies? It should. Parents need to be aware of the dangers of dating apps for teens and take steps to keep their child safe.
What are dating apps for teens?
There are three major categories: apps specifically geared toward teens, apps open to both adult and teen users, and apps meant only for adults but that have easy-to-bypass (or non-existent) age verification.
Why parents should be concerned about dating apps for teens
Dating apps expose teens to a whole host of risks. Here are the dangers parents need to know:
Predators. Dating apps are a prime place for predators to find teens, especially if the app is open to both adults and teens or if age verification is easy to bypass.
Explicit content. Even if your teen is connecting only with users their own age, dating sites can still expose them to explicit content, especially if users can message each other without restrictions in place.
Sexting. It’s perfectly normal for teens to be curious about sex. But when that curiosity goes digital, the consequences can be serious and long-lasting. The risks of sexting include consequences at school, safety concerns, and even legal problems.
Privacy concerns. When a user fills out a dating app profile, they’re usually prompted to provide a lot of personal information. Dating apps are notorious for lackluster privacy protections and selling users’ data, so it’s anyone’s guess where your child’s personal information could end up.
Teen dating apps to watch out for
Is there a safe dating app for teens? While some apps market themselves specifically for younger people, they also come with major risks. Here are a few parents should know about.
Yubo
While Yubo insists it’s not a dating app (they bill it as a way to find friends), many people use it to look for love. The app even uses a swipe system reminiscent of Tinder. The app has a version for teens and one for users 18+, but the majority of users are 13-25.
Dangers of Yubo
Weak age verification. Yubo’s age verification entails entering a birthdate and submitting a photo, both of which can be easily faked, opening the door for adults posing as teens.
No filters on livestreams. Although Yubo has filters for explicit language and bullying, those filters don’t apply to livestreams, so your teen could still be exposed.
Hoya
Hoya is marketed as a dating app for Gen Z, with a tagline of “Chat, Date & Hook Up.” The minimum age for users is 17.
Dangers of Hoya
No age verification. Although users are technically supposed to be 17 to sign up, there is absolutely no age verification process.
Age can be changed. A user’s age isn’t locked, meaning they can change it at any time and pretend to be someone they’re not.
Teen and adult users can connect. Unlike Yubo, where teen and adult users are siloed from one another, Hoya puts them in the same bucket.
OurteenNetwork
OurteenNetwork is a dating app for teens that lets users find people by their social media handles, such as their Snapchat username.
Dangers of OurteenNetwork
Unmoderated interaction. Teen users can interact in a variety of unmoderated ways like video chat. Forums, meant for group interactions, are often nearly empty — which means your teen might end up having a one-on-one conversation with a stranger.
Public profiles. Accounts are set to public by default, so unless a user changes their settings, anyone who visits the site can see their entire profile.
Risky links. Despite being for teens, users are fed a lot of links for adult dating and chat sites.
What parents can do
Although parents need to be aware of the dangers of dating apps for teens, there are steps they can take to protect their child.
Educate your teen on the risks. Make sure your child understands the risks of teen dating sites, such as predators, exploitation, and sexting. Talk to them about the teen dating slang they might encounter and what to do if someone asks them for 🍝.
Encourage real-life interactions. Emphasize the benefits of connecting with people in-person (or at least connecting online with people they know in real life). Encourage your child to get involved in activities as a way to meet new people.
Monitor their online activity. Keep an eye on your child’s online activity through the use of digital safety check-ins and a monitoring app like BrightCanary.
Final word
Dating apps for teens expose kids to risks such as online predators, sexploitation, and inappropriate content. Parents need to be aware of the dangers and educate their children on the potential harms. It’s also important for parents to monitor their child’s online activity so they can step in if there’s an issue.
BrightCanary can help you supervise your child online. The app’s advanced technology scans your child’s activity and messages, alerting you when they encounter something concerning. BrightCanary provides the broadest coverage across Apple devices and online platforms where children are most at risk, including text messages (even deleted texts). Download the app and get a free trial today.
